Special Occasion
by ryotzalcoatl
Summary: Lumiere opened her eyes only to see Eclair's face so close and that her finest grape juice had been opened. Continue from episode 20 when Lumiere collapsed after getting the new body. Lumiere/Eclair.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Edited some typos and grammar mistakes. If you still find any disturbing mistakes, feel free to tell me. Many have asked if I'm going to continue this. Unfortunately, I don't plan any new chapter or even have the idea for that. Sorry…

**Special \ Occasion**

I knew what she did couldn't count as one. It was for the sake of the optimization. Well actually, it wasn't necessary. But, since she was really worried that the progress wouldn't go smoothly she did what Wirbelwind suggested. Really, it wasn't necessary and wasn't helping the progress at all. And more, a waste of the finest grape juice I kept for a special occasion.

But knowing her, she would do everything for what she believed. Even the most ridiculous things. I liked that aspect of her, just as many other aspects of her. Her bluntness, her honesty, her kindness, her naivety. Still, I wished she wasn't so ignorant. Then I wouldn't be troubled like this. How she calmly and easily did things which really upset me. She wasn't even thinking what I would feel about it. Really...

"You better stay on bed, y'know?"

I turned around and found her entering my room bringing a tray with a bowl on it followed by my robot servants. She put the tray on the table next to my bed and reached out her hand to me. Putting my hand on hers I let her led me to my bed.

"What's this? You cooked?"

"I maybe don't have the look, but I can cook y'know!" She pouted, which was very cute of her. I smiled.

"Well, I definitely want to see you cook."

"Yeah, yeah, you can see me cook whenever you want. But now enough of that and be a good girl!" She set a pillow against the wall and helped me sit. In time like this she could be really a good caretaker. Maybe, the best I could ever have.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, she took the bowl filled with soup. "It's still hot. Let me help."

She took a spoonful soup and blew it gently before bringing it to my mouth "Say, aaah..."

Treated like this I felt blood rushing to my face. "I can feed myself." I hoped my cheek wasn't as red as I thought it could be.

"Hey, I said be a good girl! No complaining!!"

So, I had no choice but to obey you, you said? Really, your ignorance was sometimes upsetting, Éclair!

"Come on! Aaah..." She pushed the spoon to me. I opened my mouth slightly, just about enough to let the spoon in. The warm liquid touched my tongue.

"This...is quiet good..." I was surprised by its taste. I didn't expect it to be this good. After all it's Éclair who had made it.

"Isn't it? Even I can make something delicious, y'know?" She took another spoonful, blew it once before she shoved the spoon into my mouth.

"Oww!!" It was still hot.

"Ah! Sorry!" She took a napkin and wiped my lips with it. "You ok?"

"...you should treat a sick people gently, you know?" I complained.

She laughed. "I do. Like this, you see?" She took another spoon and blew it. But this time a little too hard, that some of the soup splash out to the bed cover. "Oops!"

Again, so unladylike of her...

"...girls should be elegant..." I sighed.

On my remark she just sticked out her tongue. Typical of her...

Suddenly her stomach growled. Loud enough to surprised both of us. Looking at each other, we started to laugh.

"Looks like we need another bowl." I looked at my robot servants, giving them a direct command. But they didn't respond.

Ah, that's right. I lost my power. For awhile I forgot about it. I wondered if I could get use living without it.

"Bring us another set of the food." I never imagined that someday I would be force to use voice command to my robots.

They bowed and went outside. Looking at their retreating form, I couldn't help but feel a bit saddened. It would be lonely living in this big mansion without them. Since I lost my power, I guessed I couldn't chat with them like before, could I? Even I couldn't hear Wirbelwind's voice anymore.

"Don't worry about it! We'll go to the chief when you are well enough. She will be able to help you gain your power back."

Did my face betray what I felt?

I just smiled at her attempt to cheer me on.

"More importantly, when did the last time you eat? Your stomach seems to protest a lot." A growling sound could still be heard from her stomach, although not as loud as the first one.

A flush appeared on her cheeks. "...about that...I wonder when..." she mumbled.

"Eh? You mean you don't remember?"

You didn't mean you were too busy watching over me that you forgot to eat, right?

I tried to look into her eyes to confirm the answer, but she averted her eyes from me.

"...well...a lot happened...and somehow...I forgot to eat..."

Éclair...honestly, I didn't know what to say about that troublesome personality of yours...

I saw her glancing at me. She looked somehow feeling guilty. I suppressed my sigh.

"Then please go ahead." I said, looking at the bowl.

"You mean...for me?" She frowned.

"Well, another bowl will come soon, but I think your stomach can't wait any longer, can it?" I smiled as another growl coming from her stomach. She flushed a bit, but it was quickly changed to an angry expression.

"No!" She said sharply. "I can wait. You better eat this all!"

I knew she would say so. Should I try to persuade her maybe? It wouldn't take long to for my robots to bring in another bowl, but with my power gone I couldn't make them move quicker now.

"When you say so...shall we share? At least until a new bowl come?" I suggested.

Hearing it, she smiled.

So it was decided then. Since she didn't bring another spoon, we shared the spoon. And she still insisted on feeding me. So I let her do as she wished. I was well aware how we exchanged using the spoon. My heart raced every time she gave me a spoon and then took one for herself. This was what they called indirect kiss, wasn't it?

Oh no! How did I come to such thoughts?

It wasn't the first time we exchanged using utensils or other things. In times of war and in missions there were conditions where we didn't have much choice. Neither was the kiss she gave me today was our first time. Not as it counted as a kiss. It was just her attempt to make the success probability of the optimization bigger.

Incremental optimization of the brain. One who's going through this process usually came to a state where their consciousness drifting between their memories while their body tried to adjust with the changes being made in the brain. It's a risky choice to make. If it failed, the person would forever stay unconscious until the body died. Or simply said, a coma state.

Usually people in this state couldn't response to any external stimuli or to any internal needs. But there were cases where the person responded to external stimuli, although very rare.

Éclair getting my best grape juice from Wirbelwind maybe thought it was something worth trying. Really...the simpleminded Éclair. As to why Wirbelwind gave it to her, that I wanted to know. Could it be that she thought so as well?

A knock on the door distracted my thought.

"Ah, that must be your robots. Come in!" Éclair shouted.

They came in with a tray filled with a bowl of soup, slices of bread and a glass of orange juice.

"Your breakfast." Axel, the one I appointed as the butler said as he bowed, followed by the others.

One of the robot took the empty tray which Éclair had brought while Axel put the new tray on the table.

"We brought you two glasses for the grape juice." Another robot put two wine glasses on the table.

I wasn't expecting it. Maybe communicating with them without my power wouldn't be any big difference at all. "Thank you."

"Your robots can take actions on their own? Are you using the same program like Donner's?" Éclair asked.

"Well, something like that."

She glanced at the new bowl. "Another bowl to share, hmm?" Éclair commented cheerfully. At that I was sure I blushed.

"I - I have enough of the soup. You can take that one." I hoped she didn't aware of it.

"What? You don't like the idea of sharing with me?" She pried into my eyes.

"W-what are you saying? Don't be silly!"

She laughed. "Whatever your reason is, I won't let you eat only half a bowl, you hear me?"

_Sigh_...no use arguing against you, hmm?

"Shall we have some grape juice?" She asked after we finished eating.

"What do you think we should do with it now since you've opened it?" I was still a bit angry by the fact that my best grape juice was opened without my permission.

She just laughed weakly while rubbing a hand behind her head. "Well...it did help the optimization..."

It didn't! Really...how could you think so when I couldn't taste anything in my unconscious state? I could only see the past.

Past which filled with your presence...

I watched her pouring the grape juice into the two glasses. She gave me the first glass and resumed her position on my bed.

"You said you kept it for a special occasion. Isn't this what you call a special occasion?" She winked.

"...which one of it?" I felt a muscle on my temple twitched.

"Hey...I really meant it! I was so afraid of losing you. Now, that you're back to me...I am really really happy..." She unconsciously stared at the deep red liquid in her glass.

"Éclair..." The anger I felt earlier melted away as her words washed me with a warm feeling.

I knew she cared about me. She would always care. Just as I always cared about her.

"You're right. Just as you said. This is a special occasion." I lift my glass for a toast. She smiled and lifted her glass in response. I sipped my juice while Éclair gulped hers.

"So, how did you like the kiss this time?" She asked suddenly that I almost choked on my drink.

"So you liked it, huh?" She smirked.

"...silly..." I took another sip, attempting to avoid her gaze.

It just served to make her looked even more satisfied. So unnerving. Sometimes I wondered if she really was ignorant about my feeling.

"Say...can I borrow a room?"

I blinked at her sudden question. "A room? For what?"

"Well...I think I can use a nice bed to lay down a bit. I got this backache from sleeping on the chair."

She had been sleeping on the chair?

Silly Éclair! You should have asked Axel for a room! Did you want to make me feel guilty for having you watching over me like that?

"I have plenty of room which you can use." I put my glass on the table and tried to move to the other side of the bed. She quickly reached to me and helped me move. "But, how about this one? It's the most comfortable bed I have." I patted the empty space next to me. She responded with a smile.

"You sure?"

I nodded.

She took her shoes off before creeping to my side.

"It's been a while since the last time we slept together, isn't it?" She put the pillow under my head before she settled herself next to me. "Comfy?" she asked.

"Yourself?" I asked back.

"Very!" she smiled.

A moment passed as we laid next to each other in silence.

Yes, it had been a while. When was the last time we slept over at each other place? Was it when Éclair lost her memories?

"Are you going to accompany me sleeping?" Her sleepy voice asked.

"I can use a sleep, too." I replied.

She laughed weakly. "You've been sleeping for a whole week...y'know...?" her voice trailed off as sleep took her over.

"A dreamless sleep would be nice." I whispered, more to myself.

I looked over the window. Judging from the sunlight, it was still morning.

"We'll take our leave." Axel said as the other robots took the tray and the rest of the grape juice. "Shall I close the curtain?"

I shook my head. "No. Thank you."

"Then, please excuse us." They bowed and went outside, closing the door behind them.

I turned my attention to Éclair. She was sleeping tightly. She must be very tired.

I made you worry, didn't I? Sorry...and thank you...

I put a light kiss on her forehead.

Have a nice dream, my partner.

I liked your kiss today. A grape juice flavored kiss. And with the best juice for a special occasion.

-END.


	2. Epilogue

_What happened when Lumière found out that Éclair shot some panel screen in Dogfight Bridge?_

"W-what happened here?" Lumière looked at the holes in horror. Wirbelwind answered with a beep.

"Err...about that...I was a bit anxious I didn't take time to think...I...err...shot them" Éclair rubbed her head, guilt on her face.

"You what...!?" Infuriated, Lumière glared at her.

Shrinking on her chair, Éclair played with her fingertips. "Well...just like I said...I wasn't thinking..."

"Why did you do that?"

"I...asked Wirbelwind to help you...but she shut off the screen...And I thought she didn't want to help you, so...I kinda threatened her."

"...you threatened her..?" somehow Lumière couldn't find any word to say.

So that was what happened and how Éclair could get the grape juice. But, to think that a person threatening an AI...even after being together for so long, it still amazed Lumière how reckless Éclair could be.

"I'll get them fix once you get better! I promise!" Éclair convinced her.

Lumière sighed. "You better do that."

"You aren't mad, are you?" Éclair let her chair float nearer to Lumière's.

"Can't you tell it?" a vein popped on Lumière's temple.

Éclair only smiled and floated with her chair to face Lumière. "If I say I'm sorry, will you forgive me?"

"I wonder..."

"Well then..." Éclair stood on her chair, grabbed the arms of Lumière's chair and bent forward.

"...what are you...?" Lumière's protest was silenced as Éclair took possession of her lips.

It was nice to feel Èclair's soft lips on hers. She had been wanting this for almost an eternity, but she couldn't bring herself to say it or even to put it into action. Because she wasn't sure if Éclair would like the idea.

Seconds passed as they stayed in that position. And Lumière felt a bit disappointed as Éclair moved away.

"Now...will you forgive me?" a grin appeared on Éclair's face.

Lumière felt a rush of blood to her face, but trying to hold it. "...no." she answered.

"Aww...come on..."

"Not before I get want I want." Lumière smiled and stood to meet Éclair's lips with her own.

Left by herself, Wirbelwind beeped to voice her protest, but ignored by her two mistresses.

END.


End file.
